#Pretty decent start! I'm ahead of schedule!

[lunarreaper-ut]

Artfight season is here and I have gotten some attacks done!

These characters are not mine, of course, and belong to these lovely people!

Siv belongs to @spindlewebz Floral Stencil (inkmare shipchild) belongs to @ofwishesandstars Milkshake, Cherish, and Farsh all belong to Embyalmz (Here's their Toyhouse!)

[spitdrunken]

i keep thinking about essentially being like. velvette's 'charity case' model and how your relationship develops from there.

notes: fem!reader, velvette calls you ugly LMAO, beyond that... no warnings, really. surprisingly the most healthy vee relationship ive written yet!

velvette's typical models all look similar, reminiscent of the modeling industry back when you were alive. tall, skinny and, more important than anything else, human-looking. most of them could pass for humans in a costume.

you… do not. you just didn't get quite that lucky with your demon form! really, you can say that the vast majority of people drew the short end of the stick, at least by the kind of standards that people like velvette set. maybe you're a bat, with a snout you've deemed as pig-like taking up most of your face. or a sheep, your single-slitted, dead eyes making even you uncomfortable. perhaps you're more formed after an object than what you would consider a person, or plant-like in nature! in any regards, due to the way lucifer chose to have you reborn you firmly do not fall within hell's beauty standards.

all of that means you were absolutely not expecting to be accepted when you went ahead and applied to a job with someone as famous and perfectionistic as velvette. it had started as a joke, really. you'd posted a purposefully horrible picture of yourself on vitter, with a stupid caption like; "do u think that :skull::heart: would kill me for submitting to open casting looking like this lmaooooo" (you have to use emojis to talk about the vees, as the socials owned by them are notorious for taking anything remotely negative down.)

and unexpectedly, your post randomly did some pretty big numbers, with people egging you on and some practically begging to tell you what kind of insults she would sling at your head. you saw some people copying your original as well.

so you're like! whatever!!! you don't think that you'd even get through the application process, much less velvette herself. nothing will end up happening, so, who cares? but then, somehow, despite everyone and their mom wanting to model for velvette, you get… through? and you even get an interview scheduled with velvette herself?

she takes one look at you as you walk in, and just goes: oh my god. this really is grim. and you're hardly seated, before she continues. look, i don't have the time for niceties, and introductions are entirely unnecessary. i'm sure you already know this, but you're not here because of your looks.

yeah. you figured that. …i guessed so. but i'm still sitting here. so, why?

instead of getting a real answer, you're shuffled off into a shoot, different outfits flashing on top of your body, faster than you blink, velvette's face settled into a scowl, till it suddenly lights up. it doesn't go… super well, you've never really done this and, if you had, velvette's attitude surely wouldn't help. you never really get clarity as to why you're being hired, when a contract is shoved in front of you.

(the reality of the situation is that velvette had seen you trending, not trending-trending, but still a noticable. she realised the demand for someone like you, a 'relatable' every-demon being thrust into this new world, and documenting it online. her company can claim they accept 'all kinds of demons', and some poor suckers will feel less excluded when looking at her fashion, buying it more quickly. win-win-win!)

she tells you to you're face that you're the ultimate challenge. if she can fix someone like you up to in a half-decent model, it just shows that she really is a fucking goddess. maybe you're not as pretty or as used to everything as the rest of the models, but that doesn't mean you don't put in any effort now that you're there. the other girls won't associate with you whatsoever, but you do listen in on their conversations, pretending to mess around on your phone, coming to know the kind of make-up velvette likes. you tirelessly browse online, mostly on vikvok and vitter, figuring out the current trends. and after a while, velvette takes a look at an outfit you picked, and actually says…

this is pretty decent. it won't look good on you, but i can use this. maybe, somewhere along the way, you become more of an assistant or outfit suggestor for velvette, only occasionally stopping in for shoots. velvette never accepted anyone in a similar position to you, even though vox tried her to get an assistant for ages, and she wouldn't have accepted you either if you'd obviously being vying for the position. but you weren't, and your position just kind of naturally developed that way.

your shtick as a 'charity case' has somewhat been abandoned, though velvette still dumps clothes in your arms sometimes and tells you to try them on. maybe you're one of the few people who gets her to laugh, and the only one who she freely bitches to about all of her models. (she does this to vox and valentino too, but it's not the same. they don't care as much, nor do they really know who she's talking about.) she lets you sort through some of the open casting applications and help pick out the theme for a shoot.

of course, absolutely everything you do has to go through velvette first, and she still criticizes you aplenty, but you can't help but feel she has grown… fond of you, in a sense? sometimes, you swear you see her wearing outfits you'd picked out for another model… and while she shittalks everything that moves, you just happened to listen in on her giving a model a tonguelashing for talking bad about you. either way, you've certainly come to like her a lot more. you're now even mutuals on vitter and vikvok! much to the delight of the tiny following you'd grown on there. she even posted a picture of the two of you on there! …that means you've really made it.

maybe at some point, when her company has hit a new milestone and, in a rare slip-up (or perhaps valentino gave her a super strong drink on purpose, thinking its funny) she gets pretty drunk. you end up sitting opposite of each other in a bar, with her having decided on the spot to put some make-up on you, leaning in close to check her work, fingers gliding slowly over your skin. a situation that feels entirely too intimate for this setting, not helped by the half-lidded look in your eyes. …i have changed my mind. she mumbles, slurring her words are little. you can look pretty, after all.

you sputter out a oh really, and you only realised that now?! in order to break the heaviness of the air, the unspoken tension that makes your heart skip a beat, and velvette laughs.

(maybe there's hope for the two of you yet.)

[silenttale22]

HAPPY WITH YOU |KSJ|

BestFriend!Seokjin x Chubby!Reader Genre: Fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, stupid friends to lovers Warnings: Swearing(as usually ig, sorry!), some mean comments 'bout reader's weight, reader's pretty low self-esteem Note: Hi Sweetheart, thank You for being here! I'm back, and surprise, surprise - soon I'm going to start new story, like story not one shot and I'm pretty excited! So, I hope you will enjoy!

It has never been your favorite thing to rush through the hallway, with the students talking at such a loud volume that it overpowers the sound of your headphones. Irritating even more, as you couldn't focus on the next steps. But you were made to do it day after day anyway. Trying to get to whichever class was listed on the university's schedule. But with your luck, it turns out your university decided, during its most chaotic and busy period, to renovate every possible corridor. Making it a real struggle to move from one place to another, and often having to rely on luck.

The actually made paths became confusing as much as even you, with your forever spare time and fairly decent organization, could barely make it to the needed places. With the passing time since it all started, couldn't really count how many times you found yourself lost in your search for a classroom. Often end up in a completely different area of the university's corridors, enduring stares full of puzzlement because what can you do on a particular floor with a stethoscope slung across your neck…

By far the worst was when you by accident got on the athletes' floor. Then the stares were even more baffling, but you yourself at times didn't know whether they were completely ordinary - filled with pure curiosity, some kind of intrusiveness on their part, or fake at all. Because more than once you asked yourself whether you were sometimes making everything up.

That's why, in and of itself, changing and looking for the place you needed wasn't your only problem. Much more troublesome was the unpleasant dryness in your throat and the tightening feeling in your chest, where your heart was pounding like crazy - often echoing in your ears. So more than once you had to ignore the repeated dizziness while walking a straight path. Your brain was able to come up with threats from every little thing at a surprisingly fast pace, making it increasingly difficult for you to believe in the realism of any situation.

On this day, however, you arrive in front of the classroom ahead of scheduled time, trying to stifle your jumbled thoughts and send a brief smile in the direction of your department friends. Your feet lead you to the group on your own, with whom you stick more closely and greet each other as warmly as your mind allows. You were always glad inside that you didn't have to go through all those years alone but rather had that helping hand to get through college.

And it's not that you bitterly regretted your choice of major. Ever since remember you've wanted to become a doctor and help others. But studying medicine can be the worst nightmare. Exhausting you to the point where you fall asleep over your textbooks with tears dried on your cheeks from overexertion, not only from the overwhelming amount of material but also from the stress that builds up in your head. With each revision before a new class which you already had coded in your head as necessary, or learning extra information on your own because you couldn't help yourself, a silent scream of exhaustion ripped through your head.

Willy-nilly, you were an ambitious perfectionist with a poor memory and miserable patience, which didn't make things any easier - in fact, it caused even more problems. You were coping, though, so you could say it really wasn't that bad. In fact, sometimes it was even better than you might have thought. Having to sit and stress over the simple fact that you wouldn't be able to cover all the material in one night often took more time than studying itself, and only got you out of your hair, which you were overly tugging at as you read the next chapter. This made those same nights sleepless when even after going through the book's chapters you were able to stay up wondering if you surely covered everything again.

There were also times when focusing on the subject material came with more trouble than usual. Especially when your head became busy with completely different kinds of thoughts, and instead of studying the structure of a heart, you wondered why yours was crying so much for someone who would never be yours - or at least not in the way you'd like him to be.

Because it all started from nowhere, surprising even you that these feelings were bottling up inside you this tight. No matter how much you try to push them out with words it will pass. They stayed, hunting to this day.

And yes, you could have woken up every morning or just rolled out of bed with the mindset that all you could do, or maybe must do was care for him. And yes, you could have said from time to time that "he is your best friend and you really love him," or that "you are happy to have him in your life, and his smile is one of the reasons for your happiness," but you did it with knowledge, that words must stay at the friendship point. So the pain in your chest while saying those words, since they don't mean the same thing to him at all, became too much to endure.

That's why you, more often when you weren't spending time studying, would rather make up each night's imaginary and never-ending stories with your friend in the lead role without sleeping another night, only to have a hard time facing him the next day. But what could you do about the fact that you were attracted to his person more than you should have been? What could you do about the fact that the sound of his voice popped up in your head more often than you would want it to, especially his faint and addictive laughter.

What could you do about the fact that from childhood, deep in your heart you already felt something more than friendship for him.

Years passed, and keeping these feelings inside as best you could became an unbearable weight. But you weren't willing to lose the closest person you ever had. The person who actually knew everything about you. And somewhere in the deepest part of your soul, you hoped that maybe one day he would also feel the same. But you quickly cross out those thoughts from your head, knowing that it was complete stupidity.

His figure was quick to begin haunting your dreams more often than usual. To this point, you tried even more to avoid him. There were times when you didn't write back messages or missed conversations for a couple of days, explaining later that you were studying or had no time. So you usually delayed all meetings with him as much as you could as well. But you could have guessed that he wasn't stupid at all, and your behavior somehow made him suspicious.

Nevertheless, you still found it hard to look him in the eye.

But something inside you cracked, and it was slowly breaking you apart. Hurting even more than usual. Your thoughts kept coming back to the fact that someday - sooner or later you are going to lose him. Saying what you really feel, or most simply by his irritation with you.

Until then, though, you didn't crave much. You just wanted to be next to him, to love him silently, to support his every decision and his growing career. To be there for him when he needed you.

Just why did it have to turn out so destructive for you in the end?

"Oh, hey Y/N! You knew that the acting major has a class on the same floor at the moment? Jin chat us up, he was asking about you," the voice of one of the girls snapped you out of your instant musing, and your gaze fixed behind the window frame came back to her smiling face.

"Really? He asked about something or just for…" you began, but your sentence was half paused when your name echoed down the corridor, and when you peeked your head out from over the shoulder of your friend standing in front of you. Eyes wide open as a tall boy could be seen running towards you.

No more than a second passed when his long, broad arms embraced your body swinging you in the same way, and your stressed muscles melted in his embrace instantly.

"How is my favorite miss doctor?" Seokjin's voice came into your ear together with a quiet giggle from standing next to you girls.

"I'm fine," you murmured, pulling away from his embrace, causing a wry expression sent in your direction.

You ignored it, having your heart pounding against your ribs, making you even more nervous. More and more you felt the air leaving your lungs, and you found it difficult to catch a proper breath with each passing minute.

"Hey, are you sure everything is okay? You look pale, do you still have a cold or did you spend the night in the books again" Jin's hand quickly went to your forehead to check your temperature, which you had higher just a few days ago by running in the rain when you missed the bus back home "You said you had fully recovered" the boy's worried voice brought back a sense of guilt in you, making you nod quickly in the negative, saying again that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

A look of dissatisfaction quickly comes over Seokjin's face. His facial expression immediately tells you that he is in no way convinced by your answer, and his protective posture appears even closer to your hunched body being ready to grab you as if you were about to lose all strength.

This was also one of the reasons why you were so willing to completely put your heart in Seokjin's hands. You knew that when anyone stole his heart, he would be able to give up literally anything to keep the other person safe. Place a heart in his hands, and he would protect it above everything else, giving up his health and soul so that things would be as they should be.

The truth was that you never really fell in love with his beautiful face - not saying that in the meaning that you don't find him attractive - it's more about the fact that you were charmed by his soul from the very beginning. His pure soul, ready to stand up to make those close to him feel good at all costs.

"Are you finishing at 8 as usual?" you nod quickly in the affirmative on hearing the sound of his voice, causing another beautiful smile to be sent in your direction "I'll drive you home. By the way, we'll eat something, it's been a long time since we talked."

"We talked literally yesterday".

"On the phone. It's not the same" you roll your eyes, but agree with him, and a moment later send short words of goodbye to disappear behind the door of your classroom.

But just as quickly as you stepped over the class doorstep, your head and inner embarrassment began to work at top speed. What was to you after all those studies about all those bones and the construction of the entire skeleton, when your nerves were eating you up from the inside at the very thought of having dinner with him? Apparently, this was nothing new. The shared meal was nothing new. You couldn't count how many times such evenings had taken place, but after the hot dream with the boy in the lead role that spent the sleep of your eyelids tonight didn't seem to make things better at all. Your cheeks burned at every mention of it, let alone having him sitting across from you in your favorite restaurant, sending a cocky smile really out of nowhere, not sure what it was doing to your head.

Usually, you succeeded in acting like a best friend, and called all of your behavior a joke, or completely ignored his silly questions. But whenever Jin's flirty jokes got in the way, or when a boy wanted to show you at all costs what their rehearsals for an upcoming college performance looked like last time - the slight more intimate contact between his skin and yours made your heart want to jump out of your chest. Lately, your only saving hand had become sarcasm or dryness, and yes, it often saved your awkward situation, but still, Seokjin knew you.

Looking at your exceptionally good faking, you could tell that you would be able to do amazing acting if you really wanted to - and got rid of your face before doing so, replacing it with the desired standards. This also became one of the reasons why you were so quick to cross yourself off the list of "perfect girl" candidates for Seokjin. You were no actress, much less a model - your figure was far from that. Your chubby cheeks, pot belly, and bigger tights in no way included you in this list.

It wasn't even a matter of you not liking your body - because that wasn't the case at all, you had gotten used to it and in the long run, it didn't bother you - but after so many years you knew Jin's type and you were definitely not that type.

“Yah, better focus on this freaking skeleton cuz I honestly don't feel like being called on that”a strong nudge was sent by sitting right next to your friend, making you raise your eyes and fix them on the presentation popping up on the blackboard looking at each and every bone in our body from head to toe, struggling to keep your eyes open through the boring voice of the teacher.

"Well my dear ladies and gentlemen, that's it for today. Tomorrow we'll see you for a lecture about more significant bone injuries and their treatment I also hope you'll keep in mind our, starting soon, week-long internship at the hospital to get not only a theoretical but also a practical look at the work of doctors."

"Yes, Professor," the group replied in agreement chorus, and then in an instant everyone got up to their feet, so you wrapped your textbook and empty sheets of paper in your bag with speed, in order to leave the room as quickly as possible after the two-hour lecture.

In the end, you were one of the last to leave anyway, being dragged along by the same person who so recently had been paying attention to you during class.

"I am desperately in need of coffee," to her weepy voice and sudden hovering on your shoulder, you responded only with a quiet huff and let yourself be led to the school cafeteria without any objection.

A few thuds on the automat standing there and in the hands of your friend there was a small cup with a dark liquid, which turned out to be more watered-down crap than a tasty drink, but what can you expect from such automats.

"What kind of idiot makes this coffee? Supposedly the best university in the region, and gives us nothing but shit. How is this going to support such incredibly talented young doctors?" you snorted with laughter at her weepy words, leaving you met with a death glare.

You raised your hands in a defensive gesture, but only another groan left the girl's lips, only to spew out another dose of whining and name-calling at everyone in the surrounding area a short while later. She only fell silent when you found yourselves back outside the hall, as you sat down on the chairs set up somewhere in the corridor, your gaze wandered off its own accord to the actors' group. You were quick to find a smiling Jin with your eyes, and a quiet sigh left your lips.

"Okay, you'd better tell me right away what the hell is going on again between you and a particular ham."

"Huh?" your confused look is sent in her direction but she easily stares back sizing you up.

"You've been acting a little off lately when it comes. At first, I thought maybe you two had a fight, but he seems more than okay," she slurped her coffee, without taking their eyes off you

"Must be your imagination," you muttered, pulling your gaze away from the group standing afar and fixing it on a slightly skinned wall in front of you.

"Oh, yea? Cut the crap bish. Lie to him, not to me. You're losing it, hm?" he sends you a friendly smile, but you only wince letting out an annoyed sigh "I knew it!"

"Stop it" you mutter under your breath, however, she sends you a duck sideways "Seriously give it a go, I'm trying to get him out of my head. It won't take long." A puzzled look gets shoved into your face

"And why is that?" one of your eyebrows wanders up as you finally look at the girl's face

"Huh? What kind of question is that?"

"Why the hell would you want to get him out of your head? Girl, you'd look so cute!" The female almost squealed, clenching her hand on the coffee cup, causing a small amount of liquid to spill on her pants.

With no waiting, you just rolled your eyes and reached for some tissues for her, which she accepted gratefully still cursing her misfortune under her breath.

"Listen y/f/n, I'm no model or actress. And we both know that's who Jin will end up with," girl groaned, rubbing the dark stain on his jeans harder

"But you're his friend. The best one. So…it's almost like being in the front row," she said with a smile, handing you a pack of tissues

"Exactly, almost. In the front row at his wedding, crying into my sleeve that it wasn't me." y/f/n this time clearly didn't like your sarcasm when she slammed into your shoulder violently, and a quiet painful moan escaped your lips. "And what was that for?" you muttered, massaging the hit spot

"For stupidity, cheers."

"Yea, cheers…for facts with a hint of bitterness, I guess," you muttered, breaking off the chat, ignoring all the words pouring out of the words of the student sitting next to you about the main theme - Seokjin when he has the opportunity doesn't take his eyes off you.

And if only she knew how much she was messing with your head at that moment. You were again lost in your thoughts and that miserable what if. At even times, the words spoken gave you hope that maybe your friend really felt something more, but on the other hand, how naive could you be? Your stubbornness and lack of faith quickly deleted the briefly growing thought of a positive ending.

So the next few hours of lectures quite quickly became a horrible torture for you, and along with overzealous thoughts you were haunted by a headache tearing your skull from the inside. And the breaks between classes seemed even worse, as the girl sitting with you didn't even the slightest bit understand that bringing up the same topic over and over again doesn't help your situation. Especially when at times you managed to make eye contact with Jin standing at the other end of the corridor, always sending you his most beautiful smile, always sending mixed signals that you had no idea how to read.

When your hour struck and the last sentence came from the lecturer's mouth, you get up lazily from your chair, barely keeping yourself from letting out a quiet crying moan. Y/f/n as if reading your thoughts, pokes you lightly on the shoulder to send you a smile and a raised thumb up but you only sighed taking your bag and going to the exit, where you almost immediately saw Jin sitting down.

"How long have you been waiting over here after finishing your class?" you ask with a raised eyebrow, seeing the slightly sleepy eyes of the boy, who got up from a chair at the sound of your voice to send you a smile.

"Exactly 2 hours, 45 minutes and 45, 46, 47…" the boy began to repeat, looking at his watch and nodding from side to side naming the seconds

"Jin" interrupted his brief activity, and his gaze met yours again.

His pleasant warm eyes shimmered through the bright lights in the corridor, and your heart clenched painfully in your chest as the realization that getting a grip on yourself around him was becoming more difficult with each passing day.

"Shall we go, doctor? I'm hungry and I've eaten all the fruit mentos," Jin waved the package, already empty, right in front of your eyes snapping you back to reality. "I was joking. I left you the blue ones, I know they're your favorite" he showed you another one, this time a small sack with the blue mentos put aside

"All licked?" you chuckled jokingly

"It's not like we use the same toothbrush at all," you rolled your eyes,

“Not the same” he snored as you took the bag of blue candies from him, and moved arm-in-arm together to the exit.

The sky, now covered in dark blues, was slowly revealing the brightly glowing dots that you always used to stare at for long hours. Sitting on the windowsill of a sheltered room when everyone in the house had gone to bed, and with hot tea in your hand, you would hang your legs out the window to get a better view of the sky, which was not as visible as in the countryside anyway through the city light. That's why you were often happy when you could spend the night at Jin's place, especially in the warm summer when you set up a tent with a transparent roof in the backyard to lie down admiring the constellations or shooting stars. With each one, the two of you squeezed your eyes tightly shut and made up a wish that would someday come true.

Just why now yours seemed so far away, and even impossible to fulfill.

"You need to come over again for a sleepover" Seokjin's sudden voice as you reached the car turned your gaze skyward, as he exactly knew what are you thinking about, "Mom asked when you were coming. She thinks that out of the two of us you are the one with the taste, complete nonsense by the way, and she needs help with some curtains" a quiet snort escaped your lips as you took your place in the passenger seat, immediately fastening your seat belts.

"I doubt I'll be able to make it anytime soon. I'll be in the hospital the next week and on top of that the midterms are getting closer and…"

"Listen, I know that studying has always come first for you…but I have a feeling, lately, that you…hell, I don't know, maybe I'm stupid. Never mind." He said quietly tightening his hands on the steering wheel to soon after start the car and drive out of the college parking lot towards a restaurant of yours.

At first, the road was quiet, making Jin seem even more anxious. The first thing you always did when getting into the car was to plug your phone into the radio to pick a song for the road, and it usually told him what your mood was. Because the music always spoke for you and he had known that for a very long time. However, this time there was a silence that announced troubles.

As you were able to catch a glimpse of the sparkling lights above the restaurant's entrance from afar, just after your friend stopped in the parking lot at a nearby park, a pleasant sense of nostalgia embraced you with warm arms.

Memories of a not-so-distant winter flashed before your eyes. The trees decorated with the warm hue of the lights and the falling of delicate snowflakes created a beautiful scenery, that you couldn't take your eyes off from. Until a snowball hit your head starting a huge battle between the tree trunks. A battle filled with lots of laughter and that childish carefree attitude. After which, with frozen noses and soaked clothes, the two of you rushed into a restaurant to eat warm ramen.

"Shall we go?" Jin's hand rested on your shoulder as you gazed into space, unwilling to walk away from the memories. Memories in which everything seemed easy.

"Yes, yes. Sorry," you replied quickly and turned on your heel moving towards the restaurant. It's just a pity that you didn't notice this sad gaze of a boy who followed you with insecurities growing bigger.

Taking a seat at the table was the easiest thing as the place wasn't so popular. It took minutes to take an order where you didn't even have to say what you wanted in detail. Seokjin knew your order perfectly. He knew everything. Almost everything. But his gaze fixed on your skin today was burning unbearable. And you knew that the very moment you wanted so badly to prolong was slowly coming. The moment when you're going to lose him.

Because, after all, friends don't look at each other for such long moments. Friends don't feel such a strong feeling in the heart when a brief smile full of care is sent. Friends don't bring you these pleasant butterflies that make you so happy.

And you were terrified by the fact that boy might actually start to realize that you don't look at him as a friend anymore at all.

“Listen” he started, making you look at his face after your miserable tries “I was about to talk about something else but first you have to know that, uh…I don't like it at all,” you raised an eyebrow to send him your confused look but he huffed “Your behavior. I don't like it.” your eyes widen, and you could feel the blood draining from your face.

Your gaze paused on his eyes for a long moment, not knowing what you should do. You felt the stress build up in your body, your heart pounded hard against your chest by the excess of sudden emotions that began to fill you from the inside stronger than in the past months.

“Wh-what do you mean?” your voice trembled as the words filled with anxiety came out of your throat after a short while

“I mean your avoiding. Your brushing me off every fucking time I try to reach for you. What's going on? You don't want to be friends? You found someone? I don't understand,” you couldn't run away, you had to face it. Doesn't matter how much you didn't want to.

“No Jin. It's just…stress…”

“Yea, stress…bullshit. Stop with these excuses, damn. I know you too well, okay? I know it's something that hurts you. Not just stress, school, or family. I know it isn't.”

“Listen, I don't know what are you talking about. Nothing is happening, okay?” he huffed, wanting to begin another sentence but the food was set up on the table and you immediately took chopsticks to fill your cheeks with rice.

“Easy there piggy, you will choke or something” sudden voice of waiter made your eyes widen, almost choked on the rice as the waiter said. And with your overwhelmed state, eyes started quickly watering.

“What the fuck you just said?” angry tone of Jin's voice made you swallow the rice down hard, feeling how it hurts your gulle

You just wish to go home and cry in your pillow.

“Sorry, I had no intention of insulting your…um, friend,” waiter said without any tone of regret, looking still with a somewhat painted dislike

"That's my fucking girlfriend and so you better call out your best apology if you still want to work here" your eyes widened again at his words, but you couldn't lift your gaze stuck in the table.

A mixed feeling once again popped up in your chest. Because why would he say something like that? Staying with the word friend was just enough…

"Jin, just let it go," you said quietly, hoping that everything would be over quickly.

This whole situation, this whole meeting.

"Sorry" The waiter nodded and quickly disappeared from sight, and Seokjin let out a low annoyed groan still wanting to stand up and hit him

"Y/N look at me" you glanced at him hesitantly, still trying to fight back the tears coming to your eyes "He's an idiot, and please don't cry. You're beautiful," and that was the moment when the real tears fell down your cheeks. Because you couldn't believe it. Not right now.

"J-just give me a moment" you quickly wiped away the dropping tears and got up from your chair "Gotta go to toilet."

You quickly disappeared from Jin's sight and slammed the restroom door behind you. As you walked over to the mirror to look at your reddened face in the reflection, unwanted tears flowed down your cheeks even more. That awful feeling of shame began to fill you, and honestly, you didn't know if it was this waiter's words that had such an impact on you, or rather the instant hope wrapped around you that Seokjin's words could ever be true.

You stared at your reflection and the only thing you wanted to do now was spit on it, as well as on your hopeless heart, which always had to screw everything up. As if it couldn't most simply find someone else. As if it couldn't pound faster for every other person around, every other person but him.

Quick splash on your face with cold water, glad that you had let go of any makeup in the morning when getting up for lectures, and after waiting a while for your maroon cheeks to turn a slightly stronger pink, you left the washroom to return to a boy sitting impatiently. He tapped out an unfamiliar rhythm on the table. Your plates were still full, his chopsticks still lying wrapped, untouched in the same place.

"Are you feeling better?" were the first words to leave his lips and you initially only nodded affirmatively while taking a larger sip of the cool water, which cooled you slightly from the inside. "I swear, I could just hit him."

“Stop it Jin, let's just forget about it” voice was still shaking but you tried to ignore it and take another sip of water “Just talk about the thing you wanted to,” you brushed off the topic, as you always do when something hurts but what could you do

“But…” you send him a quick look which was understood but he hesitated. Not being sure if can really just start the chat again.

“Please, just talk,” you mumbled, playing with chopsticks nervously, avoiding his gaze as much as you could

“Okay, fine then,” A deep breath was taken, which made you concerned. And as boy said another word “I-I like someone.” it became the words, that made the sound of a breaking heart inside your chest. Knowing now that every one of your stupid suspicions was false. Knowing that everything you used to overthink was now true. And even if you saw it coming, it still hurts

“Oh my, that's awesome Jin!” you send him the best-faked smile you can, feeling like everything inside from a living nightmare turned into a scary emptiness that wants to throw you into a vortex of eternal sorrow. But after all, you had to be happy, happy for him. To support him for as long as he needed.

“Uh, yeah…I mean, at first, I wasn't sure. I used to feel different with her but wasn't sure if this is it. But after some…behaviours, I think my heart understood something. And I guess..that, um, damn it's pretty hard to talk about.” he took a breath, and a quick sip of the water “When it hurts so much, after not seeing her, or seeing her hurting, it means I feel more, right?” he said struggling, but you just kept a smile on your face

“Well Jin, if you think you like someone, if you feel it inside your heart…then it must be true, right?”

“I guess so but, I don't think she likes me back. Not in this way.” you furrowed your eyebrows, wishing to beat the girl's ass without even knowing who is she.

“C'mon, who wouldn't fall for you?” words slipped off your lips faster than you thought and boy left a quiet miserable chuckle.

“Yea, you,” he said quietly as if you didn't mean to hear it. But you did. And it made you look at him with confusion.

“My word doesn't count,” you said, swallowing hard, starting to play with fingers,

“Problem is, it does,” you looked at him with question painted on your face “‘cause it's you,” he added, making your eyes widen and only a small ‘huh’ left your lips. But as a boy didn't say anything else, your thoughts began processing.

“Wait, what?” you almost choked on your own saliva, thinking that you're in some freaking reality show. “Stop joking with topics like that you idiot.”

“I like you Y/N”

“Jin I said stop joking around” you huffed, knowing how much he liked to do such things, yet he never did it…that deep.

“I'm not, really. I thought about it, a lot actually. But firstly I thought it was just momentary because we have been so close since always and all. But…you know, for some time when you used to have this project, heart diseases or something with this stupid guy…”

“Joohyuk?” he stopped, as you quickly said the name making only Seokjin look at you with a “you really had to, huh?” face

“Yeah, whatever fuck him. I…damn, it made me so mad. Like, why do you smile at him like that..huh?” his body was tense, fingers playing with a napkin, squeezing it tight from time to time in the fist

“Jin”

“No, shut up. I-I tried with my flirty jokes, I-I tried to, you know, came closer but you have always been using your fucking sarcasm, and as usual, I do find it funny, every time you rejected me like that made me think what the hell am doing wrong…”

“Nothing…” you mumbled, couldn't look him in the eye, because…all you did was on purpose. On purpose to not fall even more for him.

“Huh?”

“You did nothing wrong you idiot. I've been sarcastic because I didn't want to lose you.” his eyes widened, and you could swear that his face brightened a little bit because of your words

“Huh?!” you rolled your eyes at the disbelieve painted on his face, sight felt on the table

"I-I have feelings for you, and It-it was hard for me as I thought you'd never fall for someone like me. And I wanted to play it cool…so I did that..” started more mumbling than speaking, he still with painted disbelieve knocked on the table to make you look at him

“You did that on purpose? Are you stupid???” his louder voice made some people look in your direction, making you cringe inside

“Yah, better watch your mouth,” you said, kicking his legs under the table which made him let out a stifled squeal

“In what freaking ever possible way could I DO NOT fall for you?”

Your head couldn't process for a long while what was really going on and in what direction the whole conversation was going. You couldn't believe that all the gestures that you thought were just friendly, turned out to be something more. And your heart can do nothing more than dance joyfully inside your chest, yet your head is in the completely opposite corner of the room. It's tossing around hitting the walls, refusing to admit that this is happening. Pretending for so long, managed to get used to the fact that you would never be chosen. And your brain was always the one who spoke up, often not allowing your heart to speak a word.

“Like, in every way? Just look at me” you commented after a while but the boy snored looking at your face, as well as you couldn't believe that you really felt something for him too.

“Oh I do, I do look a lot and I can stop sometimes,” cheeks start to burn slightly, and when a sweet chuckle from Jin comes to your ears you don't know if you want to burst into tears, or happy laugh together with him. “Y/F/N never told you? She caught me too many times just standing and staring at you. Because, damn… you're so beautiful.”

“She did…did tell me about it but you know, kind of hard to believe,” you left a miserable laugh, already putting your hands on the table and it didn't take long for Jin to brush his finger onto yours and then grab your palm in his. “You know Jin, we're friends but like from different words sometimes”

“Doesn't change anything. They always say marry your friend, someone who liked you first and then fell in love because there's no one else who understands you that much. ” his warm skin on your cold hands gave you an instant burst of butterflies, and it didn't matter how much you still wanted to fight your feelings, it was too hard.

Because you knew, every freaking time you will see him, you will fall for him even more. “Y/n” you looked at him, and a soft smile melted your heart. “Would you like to be mine?”

“I…” and there was this hesitation, because what if this will bite the dust? What if those feelings aren't permanent? Of course they don't, it can all change with the snap of the fingers. But it was hard for you to refuse. Hard when he looks at you with these warm eyes, begging for more.

“I know you're scared, of course, I know. But trust me…”

“I do. I always trusted you. The same, I was always yours Jin. Always.” his big smile was sent to you, and a moment later he left a small peck on your hands, promising that he wouldn't let you down.

And you know he won't. But you're still scared that maybe it's you, who's going to let him down.

This is another time when you rush through a corridor full of students, somehow pushing past the protruding shoulders. Knowing deep that you are grossly late for Seokijn's much-awaited performance, for which you had been rehearsing the script with him for months. And all over again because of those unfunny renovations that had you feeling like choking the principals of your school soon.

Your passing exam from the main building was moved to a completely distant corner of the university, not to mention that the professor himself was late due to which everything sucked your time. And now you had somewhere this barely passed exam when you glanced at your watch seeing that the spectacle had already lasted a good half hour.

You rushed into the school's theater auditorium unable to catch your breath, but still ignored the burning sensation in your chest. You moved toward the security guard standing in front of the venue's entrance, trying to calm your breathing and trying miserably to find the badge you got from Jin providing you entrance to a special sector for close ones. Tears almost came to your eyes when you couldn't feel under your fingers the pink lanyard your entrance badge was on.

"I don't fucking believe it," you muttered and tugged the bag off your shoulder to get a better view of its interior. Luckily for you, the entrance ticket got tangled in your sweater, and with a sigh of relief, you pulled it toward the security guard, who with a nod let you inside.

With every effort, you tried to get to your seat without disturbing the people already sitting. Still, it was hardly without unpleasant whispers in your direction, which fortunately your nervousness ignored this time.

You finally found your seat, right next to Seokjin's mom who sent you her happy smile and patted your thigh when you finally sat down and turned your gaze to the stage to see a boy dressed in princely robes, stunningly presenting himself on stage.

Was this really your boyfriend?

Although you couldn't take your eyes off him, you saw that, despite his excellent acting, you saw that there was a shadow of sadness on his face that you suspected was caused by you. A sudden tightening of sadness emerged in your chest, wishing Jin would look in your direction. He could see that you were here supporting him with all your heart. Just like you always did.

"He was very stressed before coming in," you heard Ms. Kim's voice, and an even greater sense of guilt embraced you tightly

"I would have been on time if it weren't for the stupid professor" you burbled, in response to which the woman just patted you on the knee and pointed with her head to look towards the stage

And your gaze met Jin's, and a wide smile appeared on your face. You lifted two thumbs up to see the corners of the boy's mouth lift slightly and that uneasy weight from your chest disappeared. He knew you were here. He knew you were giving him support.

When the performance came to an end and a loud standing ovation filled the entire auditorium, you couldn't stop yourself from hopping from foot to foot to set off on a run to congratulate your boyfriend backstage. After a short while, you headed off together with Jin's mom, but she made it pretty clear that you should be there first so you didn't even wait and shot a quick smile in her direction to run right after in the right direction, waving in before the eyes of the security guard with a ticket, who for your luck, let you go in without a problem.

And you could already see Jin from afar. How could you not when his face was glowing in these warm lights. But when two foreign hands suddenly wrapped around his neck, and he was locked in a tight embrace, your feet stopped hard in place. Sharp pain appears inside chest. Her long dark hair reaching the waist swayed slightly, and her magazine-like figure looked gorgeous in the fitted dress. Slender modeled legs in high heels, in which she had to stand on tiptoe to reach Jin anyway.

Your total opposite. Sweet.

Your stomach did a flip, and a feeling of uncertainty gripped your body even tighter. As you stand there only in black jeans and a white shirt, with Converse on your feet. Again, that strange sensation of suffocating inside along with the difficulty of catching your breath began to burn painfully in your cage.

You are not this pretty…

"Yeah, thank you, Jia. So nice of you." he sends her a smile, with this handsome luck on his face making it hurt even more.

"You know I thought we could maybe…" Your head dropped down like a whupped puppy, and you were about to turn your back and leave but then his voice came to your ears

"Excuse you," he cut in on her words, making you lift your head, to exchange a glance with the actor "…my girl is waiting" he pushed her gently to quickly sprint in your way and put all his weight on you, wrapping arms around your waist and tickle you with his fingers.

Lips found yours as quickly as he came to you, and the temperature of cheeks changed immediately.

“Another time let this pretty head of yours think too much, hm?” his voice made you groan, and hid his face into his chest so he could hug you tighter.

“Can't help it sometimes.” you smiled, brushing his hair with fingers

“Don't I show my love well?” he whined

“Shut up, you're just too handsome” he laughed loudly, making your heart flip from this happy sound.

“Handsome, yes. Agree. But not as much as you, You are way too beautiful.” You snored into his chest at the words and even though it's nothing new, sometimes you just can't get used to it.

“I'm so proud,” you said, looking into his eyes now “You did so so good.”

“Thank you, darling, for a while I thought you won't come…” you bite your cheek from inside, saying a quiet “sorry but this stupid professor” and he understood. He always did

“By the way. Did you pass?” he asked suddenly, making you pop your head up from his chest.

“Got D”

“Aish, sorry” you chuckled only, meeting his surprised look “you don't look sad at all?” his brow snapped up, squishing your cheeks lightly.

“Cuz I'm not, and why you sorry? I passed, right?” You smiled again, it was hard not to when you looked at him

“But you rather A type of student,” he mumbled

“I don't care. You're my today, and forever A” only quiet “oh” answered you, and you couldn't hold back the laugh. “Listen, you were always for me, right? With every exam, every hard time. And I am always here to support you, okay? Always to make you happy,” you added, as he caressed your cheek and left another peck - this time on your cheek

“I know, and I am happy. To have you by my side.”

And you only smiled with this warm feeling inside your heart, promising yourself that you'll do everything to make him happy with you.

[manonamora-if]

November Check-In

As mentioned in my previous weekly update, monthly check-ins will be posted on the 1st of every month, recap'ing what's been done and what's the plan for next month.

Recap of last month's progress

IF Events in the Next Month

Plan for the next month

Still long post ahead. If you want a mini version, head over to itch.io!

October progress

The plan for last October was to:

Play and review more IF games ✅

Finish the La Petite Mort remaster: ✅

Either continue a WIP or fix another semi-completed game ❌

maybe try to add another block to the SugarCube Guide? ❌

The first was easily completed, since I reviewed about 40 games (out of the 75 entries) from this edition of the IFComp. This was more than last year in terms of quantity and time spent (more long entries this year), so while I did not play/review all entries, I'm happy with having done all that so far. Maybe I'll revisit the rest at a later point.

The second was a bit difficult. Working on the re-writes started pretty easy, but I ended up being completely short for words half-way through (even if I could visualise the scenes). Switching to translating the completed passaged helped pick up the pace, but I did this a bit too late, looking back. This meant I rushed through the last week, just before the EctoComp deadline, to complete a working state. This also means that while the game is complete, there are kinks that still need to be ironed out. This include the missing full passages (half-written or drafted, but not translated), missing translation (especially for the last passage), and taking care of the last UI friction. Another update is coming.

Having spent so much time on the first two, and IRL just swinging its bat at me, the last two points were not touched at all. Still, it's not bad, and other things came about:

The Bare-Bones Jam managed to get two dozen entries, which is pretty decent considering it happened at the same time as the EctoComp and the voting of the IFComp.

Lots of interesting discussion happened in the @neointeractives Discord server, especially covering the IFComp (moderation can't sleep).

I somehow managed to wing an entry for the inkJam, with In the Blink of an Eye. Don't know how I managed, I certainly wasn't in the right state of mind. Also turns out it was a 4-bird-1-stone, since I translated it in French.

Had an actual AMA on the blog, that was properly scheduled!

So still quite a bit considering life... (it's really been a lot, haven't processed most of it yet)

-_-

What's happening in November?

Nanowrimo for the writers, which can be a good incentive to progress the writing of a game.

The IFComp, EctoComp, and inkJam are always looking for players/voters. If you want to play a few short-ish games, take advantage of that!

The @seedcomp-if is always looking for inspiration (text, images, code, etc...) in this current first round. If you have half-baked ideas or anything, really, come submit something!

Over @neointeractives, we just wrapped up the Bare-Bones Jam and we have a new jam in the work... the ShuffleComp! Stay tuned ;)

-_-

The PLANtm for November

Still play more IF and maybe review. With the Bare-Bones Jam and the EctoComp over, that's a good 50 games to try out. (I've started with the inkJam already)

Finish the edits of Harcourt Ch5 (and get MelS to send me his Ch6 writing)

Fix one of the semi-completed games: either the Egg parser or TRNT (and make it a proper parser)

Finish that darn SugarCube Guide: there aren't much left in the guide to cover, but there are a few things to fix.

I would also like to compile the short drabbles from @crimsonroseandwhitelily into something more substantial. Either as a side page or within the game itself.

Taking the list of TO-DO from August…

To-Do not require much of new stuff:

translate Escape Goncharov! into French. ✅

fix the bugs in EDOC + overall the French version to match

fix the bugs of TRNT + find a way to add the missing pieces (mayyyybe translate into French?)

fix the formatting of DOL-OS + translate into English ✅

update LPM with the missing content + translate into English ✅

It's really been going down, which I am super happy about! I've made quite a bit of progress on that part since I made that To-DO (considering waves at life)

The rest of the To-Do pile was:

Finish The Rye in the Dark City (and maybe translate?)

Finish P-Rix - Space Trucker (and try to translate)

Finish Exquisite Cadaver (translation unlikely, current gameplay too complex to port for French)

Add a chapter to CRWL + fix/reopen the blog

Re-working TTTT to its originally planned state (lol, not likety)

Re-working SPS Iron Hammer (samesies)

Coding TTATEH (MelS dependent - shooting for end of year)

Emptying my inboxes (they are not all answered tho)

Honestly, this pile probably won't get done this year....

[kamari333]

I am a little behind my intended schedule for Kinktober prep this year: I'm five Days/Prompts behind schedule now! ;-;

On the bright side, thats still a pretty decent buffer, but I was hoping to have very little writing to do come October.

Ah well: I start early for this very reason. Stuff happens. (example: today (the 17th) i was sick as all hell and unable to make any words).

Also bright side: I'm still ahead in terms of my wordcount goal compared to percentage of prompts completed! \o/

What ship to do next?

[not-poignant]

August 2023 Writing Round-Up

Here's the monthly round-up of everything written and posted in August 2023!

Underline the Black 56 

Underline the Black 57 

Underline the Black 58 

Underline the Black 59 

Underline the Gold 03 

The Nascent Diplomat 35 

The Nascent Diplomat 36 (Patreon early access $5+)

Underline the Red 05 (Patreon early access $5+)

Chapter Commentary - Underline the Black 23 (Patreon reward $3+)

Chapter Commentary - Underline the Black 24 (Patreon reward $3+)

Game Theory 02 (the Edits) ($10+)

FANFICTION

A Stain that Won't Dissolve 18 

A Stain that Won't Dissolve 19 

A Game We Can Try 01 

A Game We Can Try 02 

--

The following stories are ongoing at my Wattpad account. For those who prefer to read on the Wattpad app, or who prefer shorter chapters, or just want to reread the stories somewhere different (or want to give me some love!), you can currently find these stories ongoing there:

A Stain that Won't Dissolve

Falling Falling Stars

Once the scheduled chapters for these come to an end, I will no longer be writing at Wattpad! And will just leave a note to anyone who finds me there that I'm on AO3 instead. It's been an interesting experiment, and a pretty spectacular failure, lol. 

*

Thanks for everyone's patience while Patreon has been a bit fucky with payments and declining payments, I've experienced this myself too as a patron. The short version of the story is that Patreon started doing more of their payments through Ireland instead of the USA and didn't tell anyone, and a lot of banks freaked out because it was unexpected. As far as I know, that's the main reason this has been happening! 

*

August (I always spell Augus first and have to remind myself to add the T, just little Fae Tales things) was a good month with a decent 14 chapters written across four stories, Underline the Black, A Stain that Won't Dissolve, Underline the Gold and Underline the Blue - Black got a whopping 6 chapters to itself! 

And that was a total of 50,909 words. :D

My September writing is actually going to have a really heavy focus on A Stain that Won't Dissolve, other than that, I'll be diligently writing ahead because in October I'll be taking a month off from writing!!! I'll still be posting chapters as usual - more than in July and August, I was preparing for October :D - but my monthly wordcount will be set to 0 and if I want to write, I can work on anything I like, which I'm looking forward to. 

I'm excited to take a full month off before NaNoWriMo, because I tend to burn out pretty badly towards the end of the year, and this is the first year of my writing life where I've managed to plan things enough that I can take a kind of holiday from writing, and while I'll still be doing other aspects of this job, writing and editing 10+ new chapters will not be a part of it. Or at least, if it is, it'll be on literally anything I want lol.

If you're particularly excited to see me work on anything in particular, including stories not listed here, please let me know!

This year I've written y'all 358,000 words, which is the equivalent of about 4 standard novels. :D

*

If you want to get updates or links to my fanfic, or hear about ongoing writing things, and read excerpts from future chapters, please find me on Twitter or Tumblr, and subscribe to my fanfiction account over at thespectaclesofthor.

If you want to keep seeing my writing and support it, come join a tier at Patreon - it's my income and it lets me share this writing with you! Alternatively, I have a Ko-Fi account for anyone who wants to support that one. :D

Sending love to all of you, from the lurkers, to the folks who just like that one story, to the peeps who aren't here for the writing and are somehow here for all my ask responses I love you all

[gfguren]

amber!!! am dropping by to wish you a weekend that is full of light and love 🥹🫧💗

i am back w my curious sel glassies 🤓 (pls feel free not to answer if uncomfy) — what’s a habit you’re most proud of? what habit of katsuki’s is one you admire?

sellie!!! light and love, pls you're sooooo sweet!! 💕 and omg pls my good habits are so few and far between aksjdhfjh! but! i guess im pretty decent at picking up after myself?? i don't let things pile up, like? i finish eating - immediately put the plate in the sink, i take a book out - put it right back where i found it when im done, those kinds of things?

but with bakugou!!

ah! this is such a fun question, i think about mundane things like this for him all the time. i feel like bakugou has such good habits, king of going to sleep on time, king of sticking to his routines, king of having his shit together - i think it just comes naturally to him and honestly, i'm terribly jealous lol.

i've said he could fix me before as a joke but askjdfhs i'm lowkey highkey serious abt it - i feel like his habits would rub off on you just from being around him.

you forget to eat? good luck with that when he's being noisy as shit in the kitchen - morning, noon and night, makes better food than some 5 star restaurants - at some point, you're stomach starts growling at the sound of pots and plans clinking, almost on command, like you've been conditioned. you struggle with keeping a schedule? good thing he has a great memory and absolutely no qualms about nagging you six ways to sunday.

oh, you're a night owl? not anymore, suddenly you're awake at 6am on a saturday, of your own volition - you're not sure how it happened, when the switch flipped and you began lazily dragging yourself out of bed along side him. maybe it was when you grew familiar with the katsuki shaped warmth beneath your comforter, followed after it when he shuffled out of bed each morning to steam up the bathroom mirror - sometimes he lets you join him, most times you sit on the counter and listen to him grumble about all the things he has to do that day.

or maybe it was because he'd made it a point to kiss you goodbye whenever you bothered to wake up on time, eventually the rest of your day began feeling wrong if he didn't - like it became a habit itself. more than likely though, it's because that's just the way bakugou is, hot temper and can-do attitude so incredibly frustrating at times, but also oddly invigorating. when he says he'll do something, he does it - makes you think it really is just that easy. (it isn't of course) as much as he tries to convince you that it is - but it does make you want to try.

and as for the habit i most admire! i think one of his most admirable habits (to me!) is how well prepared he is. bakugou is always thinking ahead, prepared for anything, always and (as good as he is at coming up with solutions on the fly) i feel like he would never leave the house unprepared or ill-equipped. of course this applies to his work life - lays his costume and equipment out before bed, eats a healthy breakfast each morning so it doesn't affect his performance on patrol, etc.

but it also translates to his home life and relationships. like? you're on your way to spend a night out with him, and you already know he's headed for the closet, off to grab a coat for himself (and for you), even if it's mid summer, even if the weather is fine - because what if it gets cold, and what if the car breaks down, and what if both of your phones stop working - and you laugh at him sometimes, because it does feel a bit ridiculous, his overthinking, his over-planning, how he makes sure you leave 30 minutes early, and triple checks the locks before you leave for real.

but sometimes, you do find yourself in a pickle, and you're so thankful for him being the way that he is.

you nick yourself on something while the two of you are out, and before you have a chance to react, he's slipping a band-aid from his jacket pocket, shuffling it into your hands, grumbling something about it being a coincidence when you shoot him a big, heart-eyed look - little do you know, it's not a coincidence at all, that he'd been sure to grab a handful of them each time the two of you left the house since that time, months ago, when you cut yourself on something you can't even recall, don't seem to remember, but he does.

that's just the way he is, takes note when something goes awry, and plans accordingly so it doesn't happen again. you're a bit clumsy with your hands? he's ordering extra straws and napkins when you eat out. you blistered your feet last time you wore 'those' heels? he's stuffing a pair of your trainers in the trunk the next time, and every time after you decide to wear them. it's just so sweet and thoughtful! even if it basically becomes muscle memory at some point! idk idk it just makes me feel really full thinking about it!!!

askjdhfsjfh anyway! ty for giving me an excuse to gush abt him sel!!!! i hope your week is absolutely lovely and filled with more writing inspiration than you know what to do with!! 💓💕❤

[daybreakrising]

@ccaptain:   after the splendid Valentine surprise Wriothesley graced him with, Kaeya has only one request for him.

   ' i promised Lisa to help her reorganize a few books today...' he starts, a finger tracing little spiral on a bare pectoral.' and i'm still sleepy, but you seem to be energetic today, ' pale diamond watches him, a little too innocent.

   ' while i get a few more minutes of sleep and steal your pillow, would you be a darling and go warn Jean and Lisa that you seized me away from them for the day? ' just a little too innocent... ' you could say hi to them too, ' he adds, smiling and kissing up that nice jawline of his. ' they haven't seen you in a while. '

   and so, his man is ceremoniously and pratically kicked out of bed, with a very pleased cat-like Kaeya rolling to sit and give Wriothesley a few more apologetic kisses before he sends him off. it's very just that the one who disrupted his schedule goes to warn poor Lisa, who is surely waiting for him with warm tea and buttery biscuits on a pretty tray... 

   it's only when the front door closes that Kaeya reveals himself to be wide awake, on the prow like a cat. the window of his bedroom, thankfully facing the opposite direction his poor fool of a boyfriend walked in, is cracked open- and, in his palm, a small bird made of Cryo takes off, flying directly to the KoF headquarters. specifically, to the window of the library.

   without another hesitation, he gathers his shirt and pants, and he's in the kitchen, fresh ingredients pulled out of the fridge, a pot already placed in a strategic place under the sink- and an apron tied around his hips and chest. 

   poor Wriothesley... falling for the rouse of a sleepy, sore Kaeya, believing that he'd simply go and notify Jean of his absence and be back home to cuddle, the ordeal taking only a few minutes at best...  he'd laugh like a villain, if he had a decent evil laugh in store.

   he really fell for it hook, line and sinker. ...or at least, if he didn't, he had the decency to still play along.

   truth is, that the Duke isn't the only one who had a surprise for him, this day. Kaeya's plan was to start preparing a certaint dish for him, then wait until evening for Wriothesley to show up- and presenting it to him as a romantic dinner, some candles on the table. and him showing up changed absolutely nothing- for Kaeya Alberich plans many scenarios ahead.

   this particular one started almost a month ago, with him tracking down a certaint melusine- which was more than happy to provide him with a certaint recipe- and give him some cooking tips after he had sheepishly admitted that he had no culinary talent. her enthusiastic encouragement filled him with determination- and filled his pocket with a sheet of paper noting down the ingredients and passages necessary. she also swore secrecy- that meeting between them shall never be of knowledge.

   and Jean and Lisa... ah, his accomplices! his partners in crime! the honest grandmaster had all the support of a much more cunning witch behind her, the latter awaiting for the little Cryo bird to signal her that Wriothesley was on his way. she would have kept him otherwise occupied with organizing books on his behalf- or something else sprung on him at the last moment, per their plan. and, just like that, the poor Duke was trapped for a while- and Kaeya had all the time in the world to cook.

   a deep breath later, the pot's contents was quietly simmering, the only accident being a small cut on Kaeya's finger and a bit too much oil on the surface of the soup- swiftly frozen over with a spoon infused with Cryo, per Fayetta's tip in how to deal with it.

   and the smell... oh, he sniffs the air with cautious wonder, wide-eyed. it's divine- it's so surprising that there were only two small accidents... and that he could make this at all. just soup for some, but this is such a special food that he cannot ruin it...

   and he didn't. he's just as stupefied with himself as the pot of perfectly cooked soup, who stares back at him in what he thinks it's disbelief, and a few carrot pieces coming to the surface. now he can tackle the had a stare down with a surprised soup off his bucket list.

   when the front door opens again, the stove has been turned off, and Kaeya is blowing softly on a ladle, an hand cupped under to prevent anything from spilling out. he meets Wriothesley with sparkling, mismatched eyes, his apron spotless, the smile on his face one of soft triumph.

   ' welcome back! taste this- and tell me what you think of it, please? '

Oh, he knows something is up. Kaeya has never, ever, kicked him out of bed for any reason. But, if his man wants to have his secrets, who is he to deny them? After all, he did surprise him by turning up early - it's entirely possible Kaeya had plans of his own that have since been disrupted. So, whilst he doesn't fully believe Kaeya's innocent explanation for getting him out of the house, he goes along anyway. And, he reasons, it's probably only going to be for an hour, maximum. And it would be nice to see Jean and Lisa again - it has been a while.

It wasn't an hour.

By the time he drags himself back to Kaeya's door, he's feeling the effects of moving bookcases around the library for what felt like an eternity. What began as simply helping Lisa reorganise some shelves turned into a full makeover of the library itself - only for her to change her mind and ask him to put everything back again once they were done.

And it was, very obviously, entirely intended to keep him busy and away from home. He's not stupid, after all.

So, he's expecting some kind of surprise awaiting him when he steps through the door, but nothing in the world could prepare him for the aroma that greets him upon entering. He stops dead, eyes wide as he is suddenly thrust back to his youth - he's on the streets, surviving on wits alone, when a smiling, friendly face leans under the pathetic canopy of his makeshift shelter, and offers him a flask of something that smells delicious-

"Kaeya?" He stares at the man before him, ladle in hand, apron on - and blinks in confusion as the image swims, blurs. It takes a moment to register that his eyes are tearing up just from that first hit of such a warm, fond aroma.

"What..." He joins him beside the stove, graciously accepts the offered ladle. The moment the soup touches his tongue the tears are shed - just a few, born of happiness, and of sentiment. He doesn't know how Kaeya has this recipe (though he can make assumptions), or what prompted him to even ask for it, but he is choked with emotion that he can't process fully.

So, instead, he plucks the ladle from Kaeya's grasp and sets it aside, then frames that pretty face with both hands. "It's perfect," he utters, voice thick with feeling, "it's... perfect." A kiss is planted, firmly, upon the other's lips. "You are perfect."

He hooks an arm around Kaeya's waist to tuck him in snugly beside him, then turns his attention to the large pot on the stove. He lifts the lid, basks in the familiar aroma, and sighs with absolute bliss. "I think... I think this is one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me."

Another kiss is pressed, tenderly, to Kaeya's temple. "I love you, so much. So, so much."

[lea-andres]

How do you decide how long a chapter will be? I ask as some of your chapters like like 9k!

Short answer: I... Don't. 😅

Long answer: (Spoilers to WtDMtN ahead!)

I know the beats that need to happen in each chapter. I'm gonna spoil an upcoming chapter to kinda walk you through the method to my madness, but I'll lay out the beats like this:

Chapter 9. Girl in the Tower

-It's very obviously going to thunderstorm today. The sky's dark, a cool breeze is blowing, there's that 'it's gonna storm today' feeling to the air.

-Jewel's fussing over the neatness of her flat, for an unknown reason. She mumbles at one point about how she hopes it starts raining before the fights end today. We don't know why she's so wound up yet.

-We jump ahead to the fights. Jewel isn't sitting with the others. She's hovering down by the on deck area talking with Bark as they watch Tangle fight Rouge. They get talking about Bark's opponent today: Storm. Jewel starts to tell the story of that time Storm threw her against a wall, but doesn't get to finish before Storm wanders over.

-Jewel hastily retreats, still spooked of Storm. Storm apologizes to Bark for 'what he did to his girl', vaguely explaining that when your boss tells you to toss someone out, ya gotta do it. There was no hard feelings. He then offers that they can get even: If Storm gets a romantic partner, Bark can throw them, no fuss or complaining. Bark is VERY confused by the topic.

-They have their scheduled fight. Bark wins.

-It has started to storm at this point.

-Jewel stops Bark from leaving, hastily and anxiously explaining that he shouldn't walk back to his hotel in the rain because he could get sick. The Museum's closer, they could hang out in her flat and wait out the storm. Bark's confused by her concern, because he's a polar bear a summer storm isn't going to get him sick, but he elects not to bring that up and accept Jewel's invitation instead.

-They run back to the Museum. They get soaked in the process.

-Jewel gets Bark some towels so he can dry off and goes to change. She offers he can put something on the TV if he wants while he waits.

-Bark finds the King's Quest game Jewel was playing still on her TV from the last time she was playing it.

-Jewel's embarrassed he found it, but explains what it is. Bark suggests they play it, because he'd like to see Jewel's favorite game. She eagerly starts over from the beginning so he can get the Full Experience™.

-During the opening sailing cutscene that takes a million years, they get horribly distracted. Jewel finishes telling the story of the time Storm threw her against the wall, and that conversation transitions to [REDACTED BECAUSE SPOILERS I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THIS PART AWAY EARLY]. The game interrupts them.

-Jewel makes Bark take the controls while she gives guidance when he gets stuck. Bark initially fears he's too stupid for a puzzle game, but with Jewel's encouragement he finds he's pretty decent at figuring out the puzzles. He also finds the main character's struggles very relatable... For the most part.

-The rain has calmed down, but not stopped. They order takeout while Jewel has to take over for an extremely bullshit puzzle they got to.

-Jewel tricks Bark into dying in a bullshit manner, resulting in a brief wrestle/tickle fight in retaliation. [MORE SPOILERS HOLY SHIT TWO MOMENTS HAPPEN HERE I DON'T WANT TO REVEAL YET]

-They hit the point in the game where you could get the easy ending instead of the true ending. Jewel offers that she could steer Bark to the easy ending and they could end the game sooner. Bark declines: he wants to see the full thing.

-Bark's incredibly relieved this portion of the game isn't too relatable to his situation LMAO.

-They finish the game, and Bark realizes the end credits have a cheesy early 90s love ballad duet. (The very one the chapter gets its name from LMAO) he and Jewel laugh like idiots at it and lovingly butcher the thing singing along obnoxiously and mimicking the singers.

-The storm has gotten bad again. Jewel offers Bark can crash in her guest room. He accepts... but can't fall asleep right away. He's stuck thinking about the [SPOILERS] part of the game on a loop, and how much he feels that moment RIGHT NOW.

Once I have my beats, I fill them out. This is where my maladaptive daydreaming comes into play. I think about my fic constantly, and the scenes play out in my head like a movie or a stage play. Actions, descriptions, even sometimes the dialogue is already figured out, I just gotta get it transcribed (that's the hard part lol). Anything that didn't come to me in the daydreaming gets made up on the spot.

And then I connect the dots. Where are we having a cut in the action to jump to a new scene, or what actions need to occur to take the characters from Beat A to Beat B and so on? This is also quite hard because I don't imagine these as frequently as the meat of the scenes LMAO.

And then somewhere along the lines of all of this it all gets insanely long and I have an almost 10k long chapter. 😂😭

Are there more coherent methods to do this? Yes. Would it help me to try to trim it down, or tackle it in chunks? Probably. But sadly this weird brain doesn't seem to work that way. 😔

[suzieb-fit]

I have been a bit anxious on the lead up to this morning.

Knowing I had my whole work schedule ahead of me, abd then then the scan right after. I wasn't worried about the scan. Just knowing it would be around 8hrs from starting my say, to getting home and eating for the first time.

Well, as is so often the case, I was worrying needlessly.

Absolutely no problem whatsoever.

In fact I did a few little things once I did get home, before eating my porridge. Nothing significant, but things that extended the time until I sat at the table.

Easy. No real challenge at all.

Anyway, because of that, my calories are pretty low again.

I'm only going to go with a 14hr fast tomorrow. So I'll be eating my fruit, nuts, protein powder and yoghurt this evening.

I've done the right amount of activity, given the calories I've eaten.

A good strength/cardio mix this morning, a decent 12 miles on the bike and finisjing with a pretty challenging yoga session this afternoon.

A very good Tuesday.

[sapphirebluediaries]

Entry 02: ITS BREAD TIME

I've been in a good mood these last 2 days :) Been enjoying this semester's school schedule so much, I have a 4 day weekend EVERY WEEK and it is incredible. I'm adapting to it still and learning to fill up all the extra time with productivity and studying, etc. Here's what I got done this weekend

Today's Song: Feeling hyped today...

I spent 3 hours start to finish taking everything out of my NIGHTMARE of a bathroom and deep cleaning it.. I was scrubbing everything in that joint im dead serious.. How tf do door hinges get dirty?? IDK but they did but now evrything in there is super shiny and clean. I had 2 bags full of old products I didn't need/were expired to throw away by the end of it. A lot of it was stuff my sister left after she moved away, but now it's all gone!!! :D Plus new pretty shower curtains and bathmats since my old ones had gotten gross.

I went for about an hour-hour 15 min hike yesterday with my dogs, it was really fulfilling and mostly steep uphill so it was definitely a workout for me. I really enjoyed being out in nature with the dogs though and just embracing the uncomfortable difficulty of the hike itself.

I baked my first bread (PIC BELOW) and it turned out awesome!!! it was a really simple no-knead recipe, and I am very pleased with it and know how to do better next time. It was so fulfilling in such a simple way, and it inspires me to spend more time baking in the future. I already cook pretty much all of my meals, but I've never been much of a baker. This year, THAT SHIT CHANGES!!! Because damn is it satisfying!

I've been doing well just taking care of the basics, like my laundry, keeping my room decent, vacuuming, not letting dishes pile up.. That is hard some days so I am glad its been getting easier :)

As I am writing this, I am in the middle of mealprepping for the week ahead.. Monday is essentially my sunday right now with this schedule, so I'm cooking my favorite soup to eat during the week, as well as twice baked potatoes :)

I requested an appointment with a local psychiatrist to look into getting medication for my diagnosed ADHD. I think it will really help since I definitely struggle with being productive and getting shit done unless I'm like absolutely brute-forcing it. Excited to get that booked and see the difference.

I got all my homework done too and read some chapters of my textbook, but it was just pretty simple stuff for my comms class. Anyway heres the pics of the hike and more importantly the BREAD

[the-firebird69]

And the next stage of Mars is after the equipment is ready right here I hear most of it is and we want to secure all of it in a way that it is readily available immediately. Is too ready all of the personnel for the entire project start to finish and you getting training and begin full on training program we have about 1 month and it's true we also want to start to man the project and halfway through October it should be fully manned and they're full-time meaning this is like setting up a nuclear plant you have to be there early and they will assist from now until the project begins with the liaison with project members to notify them there's too many of this fleet and ground systems and so forth that will be a liaison in each battalions job is to notify them and it'll go all the way to Thor and Freya and zig zag he's there to have a weekly meeting from now on with Thor and Freya and Olympus on the status of the project and what we need done in the solar system all of this will drive other programs and our freedom and is necessary and this level of organization will be attained by me requesting from Frank Castle hardcastle and Blockbuster some of our managers be assigned to zigzag

Zues I'm here helping him say it too Hera

And I am helping as well we are decent folks and we make a lot of jokes but we're under a lot of pressure. This will alleviate a lot of it we need to get going on this what we need to set up the system and it needs to work and we send out what we need and we need to have a recapture and he says with the same liaison and there's a act in accordingly way and that is if it's not done by a certain date that he sends out notices in the mornings that we need troops on this and it elevates in level and then Olympus has to have an emergency meeting if any of the components are not meeting the schedule and I agree and you guys I got to set that up too and you guys can help and and we are setting it up yes

Zig Zag

This is really great this really needs to go forwards and I'm going to set it up today and we're going to have a meeting and we'll organize how it's going to be organized and will send it in stone there's no reason to change it it's going to work that way and it does anyways it's not a battalion level but we know what level to do it at and it works great but this one is huge and we're doing it on several projects and we have templates and sop and we are getting it going we do have most of the equipment about 95% and he wants Olympus to kick it in the butt today and get the rest today and we do hear what you say send it in time and people make two we're going to go ahead and do that and we need to also start setting up and I think that we're next with Pluto meaning for that a meetings for that and simultaneously Saturn because Pluto's teeny and we're going to go ahead and do that right now he said on those two we should have all sorts of things up there and if we don't we're behind and we do have things cooking like that yes so we need to start meeting and with the way zigzag handles things it's going to be a template for the whole project and he is point on this and he has been waiting for this and he is assigned to it too and has been it's going to be wonderful he says and so many people behind him and he's needed and he's getting recognition for what he did and what he's doing and it's a relief he knows people know a lot of people including our son and daughter. He's going to help get these idiots out of here too

Thank heavens we need it now and I'm sending orders and we're going to move out on this too there are a few other things happening and they're pretty big

We're going to post now

Thor Freya

Olympus

And thank you Zeus for your assistance and Hera and he's thanking us because I'm the one doing the work that makes a lot of sense but you're helping us get it done and that's the job but we really needed it and your guys are coming to home it's terrific this is going to be fun and terrifying

Zig Zag

We're going to get working on this and we appreciate the vote of confidence and we do know that we're helping organize it and it really needs it we got to get these things done unfortunately it works much better when we're organized even though it works without it but this is a time thing and it's coming up and it's really close and really huge and there's too much of it on the other projects are we going to get made up in point is it help and really get a divvied up between nations and races it's humongous it's very aggressive it's not even the biggest but okay they're humongous so we are on it now

Frank Castle hardcastle

We have too much to do to ignore this place anymore and we're going to give you up the place and take it on and right now we're putting the remaining bases in below one of them is almost done and especially occupied and they're telling everybody what they need and it's perfect

This is a really advanced thing for someone to do from here but he doesn't want it to stop he can't stand these anymore they got a bird's eye view every few seconds of what they're like and it is terrible he says and we have to get moving on it and we will

Duke nukem Blockbuster

[ella-healthy-foods]

Healthy Eating on a Time Crunch: Meal Prep Tips for Busy Schedules

Oh, the daily hustle and bustle of life, a never-ending roller coaster of tasks, commitments, and deadlines, leaving you gasping for breath and craving a decent meal. Sound familiar? You, my friend, are not alone. The modern world has left us scrounging for time, and sadly, our diets are the first to suffer. But fear not, for I come bearing the secrets of meal prep and healthy eating on a busy schedule.

First, let's address the elephant in the room - the dreadful consequences of a poor diet for the busy bees like yourself. Nutrient deficiencies, weight gain, low energy, mood swings, and even the dreaded "hangry" beast are lurking around every corner of your chaotic life, just waiting to pounce. Surely, you don't want to fall prey to these diet demons, do you?

Well, you're in luck! I'm here to guide you through the intricate world of batch cooking and freezing meals, creating weekly or monthly meal plans, and whipping up delicious dishes in just 30 minutes. So buckle up and get ready to embark on the flavorful journey of healthy eating, even when you're racing against the clock.

1. Embrace the Magic of Batch Cooking and Freezing Meals

Batch cooking is the superhero of meal prep for busy folks like you. Simply put, it's the art of cooking large quantities of food at once and freezing them in individual portions for convenient reheating later. Imagine coming home after a long day and having a delicious, home-cooked meal ready in minutes. No more sad, soggy takeout for you!

The key to successful batch cooking is selecting recipes that freeze well, like soups, stews, casseroles, and even some pasta dishes. Spend a few hours on the weekend whipping up your culinary creations, portion them into containers, and let the freezer work its magic. Your future self will thank you.

2. Plan Your Weekly or Monthly Meal Plan Like a Pro

Creating a weekly or monthly meal plan may seem daunting, but trust me, it's worth it. You'll save time, money, and all-important brainpower by knowing exactly what's on the menu. Plus, you'll avoid the dreaded "what's��for dinner?" question, which, let's face it, can lead to some pretty unhealthy choices.

Start by picking a few go-to recipes that you can rotate throughout the week, and don't forget to include some quick, 30-minute dishes for those extra hectic days. Your meal plan should be flexible, allowing you to swap ingredients and make adjustments as needed. And remember, practice makes perfect – you'll get better at meal planning with time.

3. Master the Art of the 30-Minute Meal

Not every meal needs to be an elaborate, time-consuming project. Sometimes, you just need to whip up a tasty, nutritious dinner in under 30 minutes, and for these moments, salads, stir-fries, and grain bowls are your best friends.

The secret to lightning-fast meals lies in having pre-cut vegetables and fruits on hand. You can either buy them pre-chopped or spend some time on the weekend slicing and dicing for the week ahead. Combine these pre-cut veggies with hummus for a satisfying snack, or toss them into a salad, stir-fry, or grain bowl for a quick, filling meal.

4. Stock Up on Time-Saving Ingredients and Tools

Having a well-stocked pantry and a few handy kitchen gadgets can save you precious time and energy. Keep your kitchen stocked with healthy, versatile ingredients like whole grains, canned beans, and an assortment of sauces and spices that can be easily transformed into mouthwatering meals.

Invest in a few time-saving tools like a slow cooker, an Instant Pot, or even a simple rice cooker to take some of the stress out of meal prep. These gadgets can turn seemingly complicated dishes into easy, set-it-and-forget-it masterpieces.

There you have it – a treasure trove of tips and tricks to help you conquer meal prep and healthy eating on a busy schedule. With a little planning, creativity, and a good dose of humor, you can wave goodbye to sad, tasteless meals and hello to a world of delicious, nutritious, and time-saving dishes. So go forth and conquer, dear reader, and may your meal prep journey be ever triumphant!

Check out the selected fruit and vegetables supplements on Amazon: https://amzn.to/42IHC2m

[rat-father]

I didn't want this to be super long so I'm cutting it into 2 pieces

I'll be posting part two to this whenever

Tagging; @octopus-reactivated @writerat @onlybadendings @batfacedliar-yetagain @villainsvictim

-- tw;; pet whump, multiple whumpees, dehumanisation, conditioned whumpee, muzzles, caretaker trying their best and kinda failing --

Ted sighed in frustration, rubbing his painfully tired eyes. He wished he knew how difficult the process of finding a hairstylist that would accept pets would be before he spend hours searching every corner of the internet. He wasn't sure if he was just going about it wrong or if truly no place would accept them, and he was too exhausted to figure it out.

Grumbling angrily under his breath he took a last resort and started looking for dog groomers nearby. Of course tens of them popped up within seconds, willing to accept pets like his. He narrowed it down to the ones that could deal with curly hair, then very carefully read everything on each website. He didn't want to skip over any word or miss any important information he needed. He needed to find the one most reliable, trustworthy and capable to make sure his boys were in good hands. Or the best ones possibly, at least.

A dull ache wrapped around his heart as he called one of the numbers to schedule an appointment. Ted couldn't focus much on the conversation, a small voice in his mind yelling at him for stooping low enough to do this. He silently prayed that it wouldn't be so bad, that they would treat his pets decently. The woman on the phone told him that they required 'reactive' or 'scarred' pets to wear muzzles, in order to avoid accidents. While Melon didn't fit under that category, Mint did, and he hated the very idea of muzzling him.

He was unsure of how to even go about it, he didn't own a muzzle and buying one would meant admitting he has pets. If someone who knew him got a hold of that information they would surely go telling everyone else. The guy who openly hates the pet industry finally gets a pet of his own, one that requires a muzzle, no less.

The only placed discreet enough to buy what he needed without people seeing would be the internet, again. He quickly found an online pet store that sold more gentle looking muzzles, without a metal bit or stiff leather restricting breathing. They sold them in a variety of sizes, with different dimensions. He squinted his eyes, trying to imagine what Mint's size would be according to the small chart the shop provided. The numbers seemed to blend together after a short bit, Teddy groaning softly. Staring at the screen was of no use, he needed to take a break.

Melon stood on their toes, arms leaning on the ledge of the open window. They had their eyes closed, too busy basking in the warm sun to hear Master Teddy's footsteps. They felt his presence behind them, a small flinch escaping them as they turned around to see him only two steps away. They put their feet flat on the ground, turning to face him completely.

"Are you enjoying the sun?" He asked.

The pet's eyes darted to Mint and back, hesitantly nodding after a few seconds of silence.

"It's alright, you're allowed to do so," he said. "We can actually sit outside on the porch if you guys want? The weather is pretty nice."

Mint looked up hopefully, quietly waiting for Melon's response.

"They— they would be very grateful for the opportunity, Master."

He gave them a kind smile. "Alright then. You two can go ahead and wait for me outside. I'll be there in a second."

He unlocked the door for them, waiting for both to step out before closing it again, leaving to grab the laptop from his office upstairs. Melon double checked that Master wasn't still there, taking Mint's hand in their own and squeezing it gently. They sat at the table together, the sun blocked out by the fabric hanging above, acting as a roof. The only rays of light that made it through hit their backs, warming them through their shirt. Melon let go of the other's hand as soon as they saw Master Teddy approaching through the window, intertwined fingers slipping away. Mint paused at the sudden action, quickly understanding once Master stepped through the open doorway. He greeted them lightly, taking a seat across from the pets and setting his laptop down in front of him.

Ted focused his attention on the screen, reluctantly continuing with his search for the right muzzle for Mint. His eyebrows knitted together tightly in a frown, occasionally glancing up at the pet in hopes of getting a better idea of what would fit. The total price with the shipping ended up being more then he wanted to spend, pulling a groan from his throat as he pressed 'order'.

Melon crossed their arms atop of the table, resting their chin on it as they watched Master Teddy's expression. He seemed much more frustrated then he was a few minutes ago, sending angry glares their way. Mint also took notice of it, nervously shrinking back in its seat every time he made eye contact with him. They exchanged short glances, Mint shrugging at the other, being just as confused as them.

"..Master Teddy?" Melon quietly spoke.

Ted's head snapped up with the same angry stare, making them flinch. He relaxed his face hurriedly, seeing how afraid his pets were of him.

"Sorry, I was.. Kind of lost in thought." He cleared his throat. "Would you guys like some lemonade?"

[astro-rain]

delicate; b. barnes

chapter nine- “to have or not to have indoor plumbing”

delicate masterlist

word count: 2.3k

synopsis: no fallout shelter is perfect. sometimes you need to think outside the box... or outside the bunker, that is.

pairings: bucky barnes x fem!reader

[A/N]: what did you think of this chapter? what do you want to see next? PLS let me know! :))

Light did not shine through the windows and cast a bronze glow on the floor like it did in the castle quarters. He didn't hear the soft buzz of the cicadas like he usually did in the morning. He didn't wake to an empty room with familiar beautiful Wakandan tapestries.

This was because Bucky Barnes awoke in an underground shelter with no windows, stone reinforced walls, and a sleeping psychologist in the bed next to him. Somehow... this wasn't that bad.

He woke up before her, as to be expected. His body was pretty much programmed to be up in the early morning. That, and any time he slept for too long his mind conjured up remnants of horrors from the past.

The super soldier stood up from the bed and stretched his back and arm. It was quiet. A relaxed, enjoyable quiet. Y/N was still sleeping. He wondered what time it was. He didn't have a watch, and he didn't see any clocks in the bunker. He assumed she probably had her phone, but he wouldn't wake her just to ask the time.

He glanced around the room, and his eyes landed on the panther key. Perhaps he could go outside for a bit, gauge the time, scope out the area, get some sun. He never was overly enthusiastic about the sun, but since being in Wakanda, he had grown to love the warmth.

Warmth was a welcome change from the brutalizing cold Hydra put in his bones. Cold was past agony and torment, but warmth. Warmth was the rich, golden promise of remedy that gleamed on his skin.

Just thinking about it made him yearn for the outside sun and the way it enveloped his skin in amber rays. It felt safe here.

Usually, he couldn't stop his mind from worrying and expecting all the good in his life to somehow crash down around him. However, he couldn’t help but feel safe in Wakanda, no matter what he did. He felt safe in Wakanda and with Y/N, even though they were in a bunker hiding from a country's takeover-

"Bucky?" A raspy voice called out.

He turned around, not realizing he had walked over to the table, where the panther key was sitting. It looked just as regal and ferocious as it did before.

"G'Morning," he smiled.

She sat up on her elbows, avoiding hitting her head on the top bunk.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked. "Nightmares still?"

"Last night wasn't bad," he shrugged. "Still... there, but I got some decent hours in."

"That's good," Y/N yawned. "I'd like to work more on the nightmares soon. See if we can find any improvement. But don't worry, no 'Interpretation of Dreams' shit because I refuse to dignify most Freudian theories."

He let out a breathy chuckle. Sometimes Y/N would go into what he, in his head, called her silly psychologist speech. She would momentarily forget that Bucky wasn't an academic, and use big words to talk about things he'd never even heard of. Sometimes she would slip into psychologist mode when she wasn't "on duty."

"Are we movin' the sessions out here now?" he joked.

"Damn," she snickered. "My bad. No more psych talk in here, I promise."

"It's alright, I don't mind," he shrugged. "S'just you bein' you."

"I guess. I don't know to be anyone else, so."

“I would expect nothing less of you.”

Y/N then moved the blanket off of her legs to stand up out of the bed, just before stopping short, staring at the bed she was sitting on. He could almost see the gears turning in her head.

"Did I make the bed last night in a frenzy of exhaustion and not remember it?"

He laughed. "No."

She furrowed her brows and cocked her head to the side, confused and waiting for an explanation.

"I made it - well, as best as I could... all things considered."

Her face changed, melting into an endearing look of gratitude.

"Thank you Buck," she smiled. "Way better than sleeping on the floor."

She didn't say anything else regarding it, and he was glad. What she didn't know was that he put her in the bed after he made it. She was so exhausted, he didn't want to wake her. The task proved itself exceptionally challenging with one arm. However, super soldier strength and determination was a worthy advantage.

"Do you know what time it is?" he asked.

"Umm," she dragged out, finally standing up from the bed. "Not sure, I'll have to find my phone and- oh shit"

"What?"

"I don't have a charger."

"Oh. I'll uh look around and see if there's one stored down here."

Y/N stood still and looked around the room. Her eyes landed on the space heater and her expression dropped.

"Bucky..."

"What's wrong?"

"Do you remember what I said yesterday about the heater?"

"Not... really. Jog my memory?"

She quoted herself. "I doubt they could get electric or plumbing out here."

"Oh yeah," he still wasn't following.

"There's no shower down here... or toilet..."

He looked around and it hit him. "Oh."

"That's..." she trailed off, "a bit inconvenient."

He saw her begin to fidget with her hands.

"What are we supposed to do?" she asked. "We can't like... pee in buckets or something."

Bucky scratched the stubble on his face, about to suggest something he knew she wouldn't like.

"Well, before you woke up, I was thinkin' about going outside to get an idea of the time and maybe get some sun. We can go out and see if we can find a fresh water source or something. It's not perfect, but it's better than buckets."

"Outside? Is that not dangerous?"

"Danger is a possibility, but we're pretty far out from the castle grounds. I doubt anyone comes out this far or even knows about the shelter."

She took a deep breathe in. "I don't know..."

He could hear the uncertainty and weariness in her voice.

"If you're not comfortable, I can just go look and come back, tell you if it's safe, if there's water nearby," he offered.

"No. I'm going with you."

"I thought-"

"You’re not going alone. I'll grab my shoes and we can go."

Well then.

"As you wish, oh wise one."

"Smartass."

He grabbed the panther key and tossed it to her with a smile.

-

"So... how does one locate a water source?" Y/N asked, her footsteps beside Bucky's.

The Wakandan sun beat down on them. They'd only been walking for a few minutes, and they were already sweating.

"Keep an eye out for mud. If the ground is wet, chances are there's water nearby."

She nodded.

"Hey," she smirked, "Have you ever heard of Bear Grylls?"

He could hear the smile in her voice.

"No, but I have a feeling whatever that is is being used to poke fun at me?"

She huffed in a fake gasp, feigning over-exaggerated shock. "I'd never do such a thing!"

"Hey! I'm doing this so we don't have to pee in buckets. A teeny tiny bit of gratitude would go a long way."

"Apologies. Please accept my most heartfelt thanks, my dear old friend."

"Who you callin' old?"

"I don't know, does a hundred seem old to you?"

"You know, it’s disrespectful to mock the elderly,” he fake scolded.

"Yeah, well don't disrespect your mental healthcare provider."

"I didn't! You started-"

"Water!" she shouted, cutting him off. “Look!”

In front of Y/N's pointed finger was the end of a tiny stream. The source was somewhere ahead of them. And so they followed, continuing their trek beneath the sun's sweltering rays. It really was oppressively hot.

-

"Holy..." Bucky muttered.

"Shit," Y/N finished.

He gave her a look and he she shrugged, fighting off a laugh.

They stood facing a beautiful scene: a modest waterfall flowed over mossy stone and poured out into a little pool of crystal clear water. It was quaint and secluded, surrounded by rocks and trees. This was wonderfully fortuitous for the two of them as they were still technically in hiding. The pool of water was relatively shallow; he could see the bottom, but it was still deep enough to submerge his whole body and them some. The pressure from the waterfall looked mild enough to go under; perhaps it could act as a makeshift shower.

"This definitely works. Much better than buckets," Y/N commented.

Then she began to untie her boots, take off her socks, and sit with her feet in the water.

"Holy hell it's hot," she groaned, wiping a hand across her forehead. He noticed that she had been squinting for the last couple of minutes. "Buck, do you know if the water is clean to drink or swim in?"

"Why don't you taste test it? Then we'll know for sure."

She turned her head to him, an emotionless expression on her face.

"I don't give a damn about the super serum, I can and will drown you, Barnes."

A laugh came from deep in his chest. "I'm just playin'. The water looks fine, you should be good."

She cupped her hands to scoop up some of the water and threw it at him.

"Hey!"

"Aw, you look so refreshed now," she cooed sarcastically.

"That was uncalled for."

"Perhaps. Hey, how long until we have to go back?"

"We're not really on a set schedule. Whenever you're ready, I guess. It's not like we have things to do."

"Do I have time to like dunk real quick? It's deathly hot and I don't wanna walk back in this heat."

Dunk in the water? There are no swim suits here...

"Oh-uh... uh y-yeah, do you want me to like... wait over there-or-“

"I’m goin’ in with my clothes on,” she deadpanned. Straight and to the point, like she didn’t want any type of confusion about the situation.

“Oh,” he breathed. “You’d rather walk back in soaked clothes?”

“Yes.”

"I mean sure, knock yourself out. But be careful, some parts look pretty deep."

"I'm know how to swim, Buck,” she smiled. “Don’t fret.”

He hummed an "okay," before looking around the entire waterfall area. Instinctively, he started walking the perimeter, making sure they would be safe. He didn't know how he hadn't done it sooner. He must've been distracted.

The soldier made his way through trees and over rocks until he returned to the spot facing the center of the waterfall pool. He watched as Y/N's head slowly ascended from the water. She opened her eyes, and as her gaze found him, confusion washed over her face.

"Bucky, aren't you hot?"

"I mean, it’s warm, but I think I'm more useful out keepin' watch."

"Are you sure?" she laughed, tossing more water at him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, clumsily trying to jump and dodge out of the way of the water flinging at him.

Y/N shamelessly continued. "The water's just fine! It's so refreshing and cooooool!"

Bucky's attempts at dodging the water were very much in vain. Soon enough his grey shirt had splatters of Wakandan waterfall water all over it.

He only laughed some more. "Come on! You're comprising our security!"

She stopped.

"Wait- I'm sorry. Am I actually?"

His breathing slowed, but his smile remained. "No, it's okay. I just think it's safer for at least one of us to stay out and be aware. I can go in next time."

"Okay," she frowned.

At the edge of the water, closest to grass, the ground descended into layers, creating a sort of makeshift staircase that sloped into the pool. Y/N floated over to the stairs, and leaned her elbows on the second highest step so that the water settled just below her shoulders. He watched as her legs floated straight up behind her, and each edge of her clothing moved up and down languidly in the water as if they were breathing with its movement.

In response, Bucky sat down at the waters edge, removing his own shoes and socks, rolling up his pant legs and resting his feet in the pool.

"There, now we're meetin' in the middle."

Y/N spared a gentle smile.

"Buck," she asked softly, "can I ask you a question?"

His brows furrowed at the sudden change in tone. "Mm hm."

He was expecting some kind of serious question, but instead, he watched yet another mischievous smirk grow across her face.

"Don't you have to pee?"

He rolled his eyes, and splashed her with as much water as he could cup in his hand. Y/N let out a burst of loud, boisterous laughter, wiping the water from her eyes.

"Why, do you?! Do I have to worry about feeling some warm water!!"

"No! I already went..."

"Oh, ew!" he howled with laughter.

"Not like that! I did it behind a tree while you were makin' your rounds."

"Well thank you for not christening our only clean water source."

"You are quite welcome, James Buchanan Barnes."

His brain slowed at the sound of his full name. He almost didn't feel the barely-there smile that turned the sides of his mouth up ever so slightly. Time became lazy, and his line of sight came to a leisurely stop directly at Y/N's face.

He got a good look at the reflective water droplets all over her skin, and the way some were falling off while others stayed perfectly still. He got a good look at how her waterlogged eye lashes stuck together in bigger clumps, making darker shades of black that contrasted her eye color, and how her wet hair was slicked back and flowed down her neck. He got a good look at the teeny tiny drops of waterfall that settled in her eyebrows, and how he had only been this close to her very few times before.

He couldn't tell why, but he wanted to take a mental snapshot of this moment. The charming imperfection of her was so genuine, so endearing, so alluring. He found himself having a hard time finding the motivation to look away. He must be tired or something.

He hadn’t noticed how still she was as well. But then, gradually, her smile went away, and her face was replaced with a neutral but poised expression. She slowly floated back from him, putting space between them.

"Can we go back now?" she asked. "I think the sun is giving me a headache."

"Y-Yeah, 'fcourse," he said, unprepared to do anything but fulfill her request.

[mrsbarnes107]

Secret of The Widow

-Part one-

Summary: The battle with Thanos left the world, and more directly the Avengers, with deep cracks within their hearts. Civilians had to adjust to five years lost, governments had to rebuild. And the hero's of our world had to come to terms with their loss, figuring out how to regroup and find the will to protect this healing civilization.

And they were doing okay. That is, until Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson bring back a sharp tounged woman with a lot of secrets to the tower.

(Set a year after Tony’s snap, by his orders the compound was rebuilt and used for the Avengers to have a home, obviously not all cannon compliant but is set after Wandavision and TFATWS)

Warnings: language, *eventual* violence and smut, death

Pairing: Bucky X OC

DISCLAIMER: this is posted to Wattpad as well and it WILL HAVE PLOT. I’m a Bucky hoe so there will be smut and romancy stuff but this is a series, so plot plot plot.

*one year after the battle with Thanos*

*Bucky POV*

"Hey Birdbrain! I'm glad your enjoying some vacation but I could really use some help down here." Bucky yelled into his comm, vaulting over a fallen beam.

Fucking Wilson. I don't know who thought we needed to be partnered up but I swear I'm gonna kill his feathered ass one of these days.

Always leaving me to clean up the mess.

"Are you so old your sights not working? I've got a dude the size of a gorilla on my back and am currently avoiding crashing the building down on YOU."

Before I can comment on his lack of use to the team, a bullet narrowly grazes my ear. I throw two knives ahead of me, dealing with the runners in front, then dart around a corner and take aim with my pistol.

There's three more assailants from the bombing, besides the one apparently riding Wilson, crawling through the ruins of the building. They're easy to gun down, the whole takedown was easy, and it's highly unnerving. The men look untrained and manic, holding their machine guns loosely and with little comfort.

One slips by me, allowing me easy access to a chokehold. He's disarmed and cuffed as the next guy goes running by. Well running by until he goes tumbling to the ground, a hole the size of a plum in his leg. I holster my gun and cuff him too just in time to see the pain in my ass come barreling through a broken window.

"Nice of you to show up." I grunt as I pick up a piece of the marble ceiling.

"This better not be a two bird one stone joke again. I swear man I'll -"

Before Feathers finishes his whining I chuck the hefty stone across the room into some rubble, a split second later I hear a grunt and a body crashing to the floor, and I'm pretty sure Wilson whistles lowly. Well that handles the third moron.

I turn to Wilson and cock my head. "Where's gorilla guy?"

"In the Atlantic. Is that all of them? Any survivors?" He asks as he surveys the still smoking rubble around us.

"Civilians seemed to be evacuated before the bomb went of for some reason, except for a security guard in the lobby. As for the bombers theres two cuffed and unconscious by the East entrance." I say as I gather my knives back from the bodies on the floor.

"Copy, I'm gonna fly them back to the quinjet. You check for any stragglers."

As Wilson takes off , leaving me with the mess again, I climb onto the crumbling second story and start to survey the scene.

I still don't understand why there aren't more casualties. The museum was opened and it's broad daylight. What I REALLY don't understand is why someone would want to blow up a museum and suck so bad at it that they don't get away with stealing anything or a death count over one.

I'm about to round a corner when I hear the slightest sound of gravel moving along the opposite wall. My knife is in my hand in less than a second.

The person rounds the corner and is in a chokehold within the blink of an eye, knife against their throat. I look down and am met with copper  red hair attacking my face. Under that hair is a girl. My grip loosens, thinking she's a civilian. A civilian with a hard right fucking hook.

I stand there rubbing my jaw and look down to her. Bright blue eyes are staring up at me, an eyebrow arched high as if in challenge.

"Doll, you don't wanna do that."

She just smirks and I sweep my leg out, sending her crashing to the soot covered floor. As she falls she hooks her leg around mine, pulling me after her.

Next thing I know her legs are around my neck and she's holding my metal arm against her chest.

What is it kids say these days? Something about thick thighs saving your life? Well they have apparently never met this woman with thighs of murder cause I can't fucking breath.

Her mistake however was going after me and not Birdman the useless twit. I heave my arm up with ease and stand, launching her down the hall.

Before she can orient herself, I have her pinned underneath me, cuffs around her wrists.

They should really make some for your legs too. I'm almost certain this woman's thighs are deadlier than those tiny fists.

As I haul her upright she doesn't bother to struggle. She laughs. Her lips is bleeding, there's rubble in her hair, and she was just thrown twenty feet across a room and she's looking up at me chuckling.

All I can do is shake my head as I notify Wilson of the extra passenger.

•••

*OC POV*

I look up from the bench I was unceremoniously shoved into moments earlier. Two of the bombers are slumped on the floor in the corner still unconscious.

"Okay Red, time for answers. Who are you and why did your team bomb the museum?" I look up and see the Falcon walking over to me, his arms crossed in as intimidating as a stance one can have with big wings on his back and goggles over half his face.

I just look past him at the man who caught me and tilt my head, looking him over. "Sargent Barnes. It's been a while."

His eyebrows shoot up, face in shock for a moment until he realizes his transparency.

"Wait hold up you-"

Sam was interrupted by Bucky shoving past him, stopping in-front of me with a glare. "Who are you? I sure as hell have never seen you before."

I just smirk at him and shake my head. "So when will we be at the compound? I have a schedule to keep up with and people to see."

Sam walks up beside the imposing force that is Bucky Barnes. "No we ask the questions. Who are you."

"You'll know when you know." I say with a shrug as I sit back and get more comfortable. "You'd think the Avengers would have enough money to have more comfortable seating." I mumble with a shake of my head.

The two men stare at me for a second until the large one armed man grunts in annoyance and looks at Sam. "Call everyone to the conference room. Ten minutes." He shoots me a look and walks off to start gathering his gear.

Birdy just glances at me and informs, apparently, the remaining team members to meet them upon landing.

As the quinjet starts to slow into decent, the hero's haul the men to the door, dumping them to the floor. As we touch down, the unconscious bodies get set outside on the helipad.

As the two walk towards you, Barnes leans in to whisper something into Sams ear. The bird man just looks at him with a raised eyebrow then back to you, seemingly confused.

"What gentleman, offering to escort a lady out. So kind." I smile up at the as they each grab an arm.

"Okay doll loo-"

Before the large man can finish his sentence I'm walking past them backwards, waving at their stupefied expressions as they look at their cuffed together wrists. I hear Sam mumble something about Bucky warning him against killer thighs not quick hands.

"See you boys in a minute." I send them a parting wink as I jump down to the landing.

"Hey we put the guys in holding for questioning. Why do we need to meet in-" The kid walking towards the quinjet finally looked up from his phone and stopped talking when he saw that you were in fact not a super soldier or flying man. "Wait who are you?"

"Hey Petey." I say as I give him a big smile and wrap my arm around his shoulder. "Do you think you could point me to the conference room? And get me some water? Inhaled to much smoke."

He looks confused for a moment as I lead him away from the hanger and the struggling heros trying to separate from each other, but he just shrugs with a smile and leads me into the compound.